Parallel Theory: Displacement Series: Harry Potter
by Abyssal Angel
Summary: Rated M just in case. Have you ever wondered what you would do if you ever woke up and found yourself in a completely new place and a different body? Well this story is one step towards my finding out! Join me as I deal with the issues of our favorite emo, messy haired, Scar headed Slythindor, Harry Potter! DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it! I only own myself.
1. Chapter 1

_Huh? What the hell? _My mind reeled as suddenly I was displaced from the comfort of my bed, and onto a very uncomfortable hard and cold floor. I'd just been about to fall asleep in my urban home in Florida, when suddenly I'm very aware that my bed is not where I am. After all, what bed feels like a slab of ice and harder than a church pew bench?

Sitting up weakly, I try to get my bearings. I blink at my surroundings, trying to adjust my eyes to the dark, and make out a softly snoring lump on a couch, that may not really have the fair right to be called a couch anymore really, considering how threadbare and about to collapse under the weight of whatever said lump's weight was. At least the lump had an arm with a watch, so I know at least it's five minutes to midnight.

Shaking my head, I take in my surroundings, and know for a fact that something has to be off, because I can't understand how I only just now noticed that I'm in this poor excuse for a shack, in the middle of the worst storm imaginable, with a drafty breeze practically blowing everywhere. Shivering, I pulled the ratty blanket I had covering me as close to myself as possible, pushing my glasses closer to the bridge of my nose out of habit.

A particularly loud thunderclap caught my attention and the very walls actually shook, making me hope very much that the storm didn't just sweep us all away. Looking around again, in case I missed something, I noticed a fireplace not too far from where I was sitting, with smoldering potato chip bags in the grate, which weren't putting out any heat whatsoever, to no real great surprise on my part.

What did come to my surprise, however, is when the fat lump's watch gave a single beep, signifying midnight, and suddenly a huge booming crash smashed against the door, making the whole shack, if it were possible, shake even more than before. I stood up quickly, trying to ignore the fact that doing so, caused the blood to rush to my head, making me feel fuzzy in the head for a moment, and took up a place behind the edge of the fireplace. I don't know what's going on here, but anything that could make a great boom like that and shake a building, no matter how rickety it seemed, should obviously be something to be wary of.

I was obviously alone in my sentiment though, because the lump only sat up, startled, only to jump in fright at the next boom, which brought down a rather large fat man who largely resembled the lump, er- boy, frozen stiff on the pathetic excuse for a couch. Following behind this rather large man with no neck and a face that seemed permanently disposed between switching between shades of red and purple, was a woman, whom I could only describe as a stick figure, with a really long giraffe neck.

Needless to say I kept out of sight of these people too, since I had no clue who they were, and if it so happened that whatever was about to smash the door down along with the rest of the four walls went after the three idiots first, then better chance for me to get the heck out of Dodge.

With one last resounding boom, the door fell in, revealing a walking brown overcoat with a beard, until the man behind the beard finally stooped down through the archway and into the room. Whoever this guy is, he's enormous! He stepped in, looked at the three apparent people frozen stiff with fear, even with the fat man holding a rifle. Lot of good it does him if he's just going to sit and stare without even aiming down the sights at all, not that I care too much. "Sorry abou' tha'," said the big guy with a heavy European accent that had my eyes popping out of my skull. Just where the hell am I? Despite all this I had to suppress a snicker as the man simply lifted up the flattened door and placed it back in its frame. The fact that he even bothered seems quite ludicrous to me, and considering the even more ridiculous situation I seem to have found myself in, I couldn't quite hold the snort of laughter in, that had everyone's attention turning to me in the sudden silence after the rather bold entrance.

Before I even had a chance to really say much of anything, the big man stepped up to me and said, "Well there you are Harry! It's good to see you again!" Frozen in shock at the man's familiarity, I simply stuttered out, "Wh-what?" I'm pretty sure I would have remembered if I'd ever seen this man in my life before. He'd be rather hard to miss or forget, not to mention he called me Harry? What's up with that? The man, for his part, gave me an odd look and said, "Well, you didn't expect me not to recognize the great Harry Potter when I see him did you? Spittin' Image of your Dad you are! 'Cept for the eyes, 'o course. You've got your mother's eyes."

I think that's about the point my mental train completely derailed off the tracks and took out a rail station as well as a few city blocks with it.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Well, you didn't expect me not to recognize the great Harry Potter when I see him did you? Spittin' Image of your Dad you are! 'Cept for the eyes, 'o course. You've got your mother's eyes."_

_I think that's about the point my mental train completely derailed off the tracks and took out a rail station as well as a few city blocks with it._

What does a person do in a situation like this? I certainly didn't know. I'd be mad not to accept what's right in front of my face though. I'm in a wooden shack, staring at Rubeus Hagrid, Dudley Dursley, and his parents Petunia and Vernon. This situation is right there in the beginning of the very first Harry Potter book! I couldn't help but recognize them now. They look exactly like I imagined they would. I can only be glad that I think fast, and I simply decide to go with the flow for the moment. After all, if I'm Harry Potter, then I couldn't have popped into the story at a better time than this.

I nodded at Hagrid and said, "I'm sorry, but how do you know me?" Hagrid said, "Well, it'd be hard to find anyone in our world who doesn't know ya Harry! Right famous ya are!" Vernon evidently decided to try and grow a pair and shouted, "What is the meaning of this!? I demand that you leave at once!" Hagrid marched over to Vernon and bent the rifle into a knot and tossed it aside, all the while saying, "Dry up Dursley, ya great prune!"

I had to admit that was pretty cool. Hagrid went over to the couch and told Dudley to, "Budge up, ya great lump." Dudley took off and hid behind his parents. I shook my head at this and watched as Hagrid took his umbrella and started a fire in the grate, providing some much needed warmth to the hut. He kept reaching into his coat and pulled out a rack, a kettle, and sausages and set to work cooking everything.

I coughed and asked, "So what brings you all the way here, Hagrid?" Hagrid answered, "Well I'm here to see you, Harry. Heard you hadn't got your letter for school, so I was sent to hand deliver it to you personally. Here ya are." He handed over the letter and I took it and slit it open, reading the contents, an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I grinned and said, "Well that explains a few things. I didn't know I was a wizard till just now, but I should've suspected it now that I think about it." Hagrid looked confused and handed over some sausages and a cup of tea. I put the tea aside, since I don't drink any, and bit into the sausages. Hagrid asked, "What do ya mean, you didn't know? Didn't they tell ya?" He gestured over his shoulder at the Dursleys.

I shook my head and he surged to his feet and with a yell of, "DURSLEY!" He stomped over to the Dursley's, who shrank back from him and he thundered out, "What's the meanin o' this? Harry Potter not knowin' about the world, or magic, or… or ANYTHIN'?" Vernon straightened up a little and said indignantly, "Now see here! There will be none of that in our house! When we took him in we swore we'd stamp out that rubbish! He'll not be going to that freak school either!" Hagrid snorted and said, "And I suppose a great muggle like you's gonna stop him eh? Stamp out his magic! Why I oughta… get outta my sight!" The Dursley's scampered up the stairs, but not before Hagrid left Dudley a memento in the shape of a pig's tail.

I laughed at that, and Hagrid grinned sheepishly and sat back down on the couch, which nearly sagged to the floor. He said, "Enjoyed that eh? I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention tha'. Now that I've found ya, strictly speakin, I'm not supposed to do magic anymore." I nodded and said, "I won't. Why aren't you supposed to use magic, Hagrid?" He waved his hand and said, "Never you mind, Harry. It's not important. But blimey… not knowin about our world… I'm not sure I'm the best one to be tellin ya this Harry."

Hagrid sat back and ate some of the sausage thoughtfully. I ate some sausage as well as he began, "Well, I guess I'd better start back with your parents. They went to Hogwarts as well. Brightest and best you'd ever meet Harry. It was a shame when it happened… see, after school, they got together and they had you. Problem was, our world was at war at the time. We were fightin' a dark wizard Harry, named Vol… V-V… blimey. We called him You-Know-Who. Nobody wanted to say his name. Cursed it was. Anybody who said it would have his followers, the Death Eaters, beatin down there door in seconds.

"Your parents fought You-Know-Who. Were some of the best fighters we had against him. But he found them. Came for 'em personally when they were hidin' in Godric's Hallow. But somethin' happened that night. He turned his wand on you as well, but he couldn't kill you. Nobody's survived him before, and a one year old babe not only survives him, but somehow destroys him too! Some say he died. Codswallop in my opinion. Don't think he had enough human in him to die. I reckon he's out there still, bidin' his time."

I nodded and said, "The Dursley's told me they died in a car crash and that they were drunks." Hagrid looked murderous, but he didn't go upstairs or do anything. I looked down thoughtfully and decided that the best I could right now is get away from the Dursley's, so I kept looking down and asked, "Hagrid, since you're here… do you think we could leave? I don't want to be near the Dursley's anymore. When they said they were going to stamp out my magic, I think they meant it literally. They never hurt me, but they never stopped Dudley and his gang from hurting me. They starved me and made me sleep in the cupboard under the stairs."

At this Hagrid did surge up in anger, and shouted, "THEY DID WHAT!?" I winced at the volume and asked, "Hagrid please… can we just go?..." Hagrid nodded and said, "I was gonna wait till tomorrow, hoping the storm is out by then…" I shook my head and said, "The sooner we can be away from them, the better." Hagrid nodded and said, "Don't worry Harry. I'll get you outta here. I've got just the place we can go. We'll get a little wet, mind, but we can get dry when we get there alright?" I nodded and followed him after he gathered up all his things and I hurriedly finished my sausage.

Hagrid opened the door again and it fell in. He didn't bother with it this time though. He nodded and shouted over the storm, "Alright Harry, stay close to me alright?" I nodded and got as close to Hagrid as possible. To my surprise, he wrapped his coat around me and held me with one arm, which might as well been him picking me up since my feet are now dangling from the ground. He rushed out into the storm as I clung to his waist and he pulled out a large motorcycle and we were soon rushing off out of the storm.


	3. Chapter 3

I couldn't tell you how long we were up the air. I was still buried inside Hagrid's coat, sitting in front of him. I think I fell asleep during the flight, considering I'd just gone to bed when this happened. Finally we set down on a road and I was way too out of it to really notice anything. Hagrid lifted me off the bike, and carried me into some dingy looking building. I heard him talking quietly to someone, then we went up the stairs, and then I was laying on a wonderfully soft bed and I pretty much knew no more.

I finally woke up to sunshine streaming through the window next to me. I sat up and found myself in a rather simple looking hotel room. Since there was no TV and everything looks a bit rustic, I'm guessing I'm in the magical world at the moment. Hagrid is in the next bed over snoring away. I scooted back and leaned against the headboard, settling in to think about things.

The facts seem to be that I'm Harry Potter, and Hagrid just got me away from the Dursley's in the beginning of the book. At this point in time, I've pretty much got the whole of Harry's life in front of me. I suppose the question is what now? There are obviously things I need to go about fixing if I'm going to be Harry for any length of time, but what about going home? What about me? I'm not Harry. My name is Matthew. I'm an American from the United States, and Harry Potter is just a fictional story over there. I have enjoyed reading a number of fanfiction about Harry Potter, so I've got a pretty good idea of what I need to do to go forward.

What about me though? I'm Harry Potter, yet I'm not. In a way I think I'd rather be Harry Potter than Matthew. My life was kinda Fubar before this happened. No money, no where to go, in an apartment that I'd only just paid my latest month of rent, barely any food to speak of, and enrolled in a virtual college campus getting an Associates in General Studies since I had no idea what to do with my life, and don't even get me started on my love life. It exists, but it's even more Fubar than the rest of my life is.

There's that on one hand, and on the other is Harry Potter. As Harry, I can learn magic, I know a number of ways that I can apply things to improve and sell products. I might be super rich now, or I might be fairly rich now. Either way, I can easily set up a company that'll become indispensable to both worlds. I'll become super rich that way. Not that I really care about money. I just want a purpose. That's what'll give me some happiness in my rather crap life.

Then again, what about Harry? What happened to him? Is he still there somewhere, or by becoming Harry now, is he pretty much gone? I shook my head. There's nothing I can really do about that. So comparing the two, I think I can honestly say that I'd rather be Harry. With that decision out of the way, I started making a todo list in my mind for what needs to be done today. First off, I need to stay in Diagon Alley till school starts. I think that's already taken care of though, since Hagrid's pretty much taken me away from the Dursleys, so he'll probably let me stay here without too much trouble. Next is I need to see the Goblins and find out what services they provide, as well as getting access to my accounts and getting a summary of all transactions since Voldemort died. Also, based on what I learn of the Goblins, I can figure out if they're trustworthy or not.

After I visit Gringotts, next step should be to get to St. Mungo's, or maybe see a private healer if there is one in the alley. I'll ask if there is one when Hagrid and I go down for breakfast. If I'm correct in where I think we are, then we're probably at the Leaky Cauldron, and I can ask Tom the barkeep for information. Other than that, I'll need to get a suitcase that can shrink itself with a touch rather than a wand, with a blood based lock, and a built in apartment suite, and if I can wrangle it, I'll want some teleportation doors in there as well. I'll also need new clothes since these are much too big, as well as a utility belt with some endless pouches on it. Honestly, why would anyone NOT want one of those?

I was interrupted from my musings by a tapping on the window. Looking over I spotted an owl with a newspaper tied to one leg and a pouch to the other, tapping away on the window. I got up and let the owl in, relieving it of it's newspaper. It then went over to the coatrack in the corner and started attacking Hagrid's coat. Knowing it wanted paid, I shook Hagrid's shoulder and said, "Hagrid, there's an owl that brought the newspaper. It's attacking your coat."

Groaning a little, Hagrid sat up and rubbed his eyes, then shambled over to his coat and fished out some money for the bird and put it in it's pouch. It then took off through the window and I closed it back up. "Morning Hagrid." Hagrid yawned and stretched, then said, "Good Mornin Harry. Blimey are you a morning person? Usually takes me an hour and some food before I'm awake to do anything." I shook my head and said, "I'm the complete opposite of a morning person. I'm just really good at doing stuff while half asleep, and I've already been up awhile."

Hagrid nodded and yawned again and said, "Well, I'm for some breakfast." I nodded and followed him out the door and down the stairs after he put his coat back on. Hagrid said hello to Tom, who was wiping a glass behind the bar and we both found a table. Tom was soon over and said, "Mornin Hagrid. Good to see you awake Harry. I'm Tom, owner of this fine establishment, The Leaky Cauldron. You looked dead when Hagrid brought you in. Glad you were just sleeping though. What can I get for you two?"

Hagrid ordered a big plate of sausages and pancakes and a tankard of Butterbeer. I asked for some pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast with jam, and three glasses of milk. I haven't been able to eat so well in ages. And I'm definitely looking forward to it. It wasn't long till Tom brought out our food and I dug in with gusto. It was delicious. Hagrid chuckled and said, "That's quite the appetite there Harry." I nodded and said, "I'd never eaten so well before." Hagrid's expression turned a little dark but he didn't say anything, just nodded. I guess the Dursley's days are numbered. Of course, it wasn't exactly true, but for the sake of not confusing anyone, least of all myself, I decided to treat any statement I make as applying to my new life as Harry, instead of my life as Matthew as well.

After we finished, Tom came back and took our plates and Hagrid paid for us. I stopped Tom and asked, "What can you tell me about the magical world?" Tom chuckled and said, "Well, through that door in the back is the entrance to Diagon Alley. It's the main shopping and Tourist spot for Magicals in London. There are three other alleys connected to it. Knockturn Alley, Mort Alley, and Cristof Alley. Knockturn is a dodgy place to go at the best of times. Best avoid there. Mort Alley is where all the medical stores and a few clinics are located. Best be careful though. Most people who set up shop there failed the Entrance Exam for St. Mungo's. Claire's alright though. As for Cristof Alley, most people don't go there. I couldn't tell you much about it except that a lot of muggleborn hang out there. Best watch yourself and stick to Diagon Alley, eh Harry?"

After that, Hagrid lead me through a side door to a deadend with a trashcan. Hagrid was mumbling numbers to himself as he took out his umbrella and tapped a few bricks. I then grinned as the wall seemed to split down the middle and slide apart. "Welcome to Diagon Alley." Said Hagrid.

I stepped forward in awe at all the hustle and bustle and shops and all the crazy trinkets around. "This place is amazing!" I said. Hagrid nodded and pointed out a few various places, like Eyelop's Owl Emporium and Quality Quidditch Supplies. He then lead me up the white marble steps of Gringotts, but not before pointing out Mort and Cristof alley, that branched off to the left and right of Gringotts respectively. I made a mental note to check out both, especially Claire's down Mort Alley.

Hagrid and I then entered Gringotts and I was immediately reminded of a public library due to how quiet and forboding the place is. Hagrid lead me up a counter and we waited in line for a few minutes before finally getting to the front. I gotta hand it to Rowling, the Goblins are fairly hideous, and not one looks alike. It stared down it's nose at us and asked, "Name?" I spoke up before Hagrid could and said, "Harry Potter here to see my account manager." Hagrid looked startled and glanced down at me.

The Goblin nodded and made a gesture. Soon another Goblin had shown up and the teller told him to lead us to Account Manager Riptooth. The new Goblin turned to us and said, "Only Mr. Potter will be allowed to see the account manager. You'll have to wait here." Hagrid nodded and said, "Are you sure about this Harry?" I nodded and he handed me my key and said, "Be careful alright? I'll be waiting over there." He gestured to some chairs. I nodded and turned to follow the new Goblin.

I couldn't tell you how many turns we took before we finally reached a door that looked the same from every other door. I shook my head and wondered if there was some kind of marking using magic that allowed the Goblins to tell who was behind which door. The Goblin opened the door and I walked inside. Sitting behind the lone desk in the room, with a fireplace sitting behind him, is the oldest looking Goblin I'd ever seen. I stood behind the chair and waited patiently.

Finally, the Goblin looked up and said, "Take a seat Mr. Potter, now what can I do for you?" I sat down and said, "Thank you for seeing me Account Manager Riptooth. I'm here for a few things. First I'd like to get a summary of my account holdings, as well as a summary of all transactions made since that day when the Dark Lord disappeared. I would also like to know what services Gringotts provides." Account Manager Riptooth nodded and wrote a few notes on a piece of paper and slipping it into a tray where it promptly disappeared.

Riptooth then said, "Your Account Holdings Portfolio is being brought up for you. You may obtain a self updating copy of your own for one Galleon. The history of your transactions is being brought as well. Before they get here, I will need to verify your identity to allow you access to them." I agreed and Riptooth had me prick my finger and press it to a piece of paper. After a moment a number of lines and words appeared on the paper. Riptooth glanced over these, nodded, then placed the paper in the bin where it disappeared.

"Your identity has been verified Mr. Potter." Said Riptooth. "As for the services Gringotts Bank provides, other than opening an account and holding vaults, Gringotts provides Financial Counseling as well as overseeing your investments, both of which I do. We also provide Warding, Cursebreaking, remote vault access, loans, among other things. Here is a brochure showing a complete list of our services." I nodded and said, "What options do you have for remote vault access?" Riptooth answered, "We have money bags that are tied to the vault. They come in either Dragonhide or Mokeskin. Mokeskin is of course extra as it shrinks for anyone other than the owner, preventing theft. Our other option is a debit card that links to your account through our branch in the muggle world. There are only a few Wizarding Shops who will accept this card, as it is primarily for use with Muggles."

I nodded and said, "Provided what I learn of my accounts, I would be interested in getting both." Riptooth nodded and jotted another note and tossed it into the tray where it disappeared. I coughed, and said, "I'd also be interested in getting one of those trays." Riptooth's eyebrows shot up and said, "And what would you do with one of these Mr. Potter?" I shrugged and said, "Well, it would make receiving correspondence from the bank extremely easy, as well as instantaneous. Also, if my friends were to get ones themselves… you have the makings for replacing the Owl Post right there."

Riptooth's eyes grew huge at this, and he hastily scribbled another note, to disappear in the tray. Riptooth then said, "Mr. Potter, with ideas like those, you'll certainly be making your way in this world." A piece of paper suddenly appeared in the tray. Riptooth read it, nodded, and then said, "Mr. Potter, Gringotts Bank now owes you a debt. If it be your choosing, we can call this debt paid by providing you with both a mokeskin bag and debit card free of charge, as well as a muggle account tied directly into your vault." I thought about it for a moment and said, "That sounds good. If you don't mind though, I'd like to see my account holdings and see the history of transactions first before that is finalized?" Riptooth grinned without showing teeth and nodded.

Not but a minute after that, the door opened and a Goblin rushed in, carrying a rather large book, and fairly smaller one on top of that. Riptooth gestured and the Goblin gave both to me. Opening the smaller one, I found it to be the transaction history. I looked up and said, "Is it possible to get a self updating copy of this for myself?" Riptooth nodded and said, "That's one of the functions of your self updating copy of your account holdings, which is the larger book of the two, and is yours to keep." I nodded, and examined the transaction history more closely. As I feared, there were a number of transactions in fairly large quantities that I couldn't have possibly made.

I looked up and asked, "Who made these transactions?" Riptooth answered, "A monthly stipend of a hundred galleons converted to pounds went to a Vernon Dursley to cover cost of care. The other transactions were made by one Albus Dumbledore. Reasons stated were to cover expenditures in your name. The most recent withdrawal from him is for your schooling." I scowled and said, "I never saw a cent from Albus Dumbledore, and Vernon Dursley and his family often starved me. My bedroom was located in the cupboard under the stairs, they only ever gave me hand me downs from my Cousin, Dudley, who is much larger than I am, and they punished me when they had to get me glasses for school, and even then it was from a bargain bin so it's most likely the wrong prescription."

To say Riptooth was furious would be an understatement. He wrote a long note and put it in the tray to disappear and said, "One Albus Dumbledore has now been frozen from your account, rest assured we will get to the bottom of this. He has insulted the Goblin Nation and as such, your money will be returned to you as well as ten times that amount. His accounts will be frozen as well and audited. As for one Vernon Dursley, his monthly stipend will cease and your money returned as well as ten times that amount. The Ministry of Magic's Auror Department will be contacted and an investigation will commence immediately into both of them. You will also be scheduled an appointment with a healer in Mort Alley under our payroll and given utmost discretion. This will be to not only reverse damage done, but also to document your injuries for both our records as well as the investigation. You will also be compensated for damage done as well."

I felt a little stunned at this but then regained my composure and answered, "Thank you Account Manager Riptooth. If I may, I would like to suggest another idea as thanks for this aid. Those trays transport documents and most likely packages as well? If you applied the same charms to a doorway, you'd probably get a gateway transportation system that could easily rival, if not surpass, the current Floo system." Riptooth again wrote down a note, even faster this time, and put it in the tray to disappear.

Before even a second had passed, another piece of paper appeared with red writing. Riptooth read it and his eyes bulged. Looking up at me, he said, "You have been summoned by his lordship, Ragnok, King of the Goblins. We are to report to him immediately."


	4. Chapter 4

_Before even a second had passed, another piece of paper appeared with red writing. Riptooth read it and his eyes bulged. Looking up at me, he said, "You have been summoned by his lordship, Ragnok, King of the Goblins. We are to report to him immediately." _

To say that I'm surprised would be an understatement. I quickly stood up and followed Riptooth as he practically dashed out of the room. He lead me in the same direction that we came, before taking another direction entirely, leading me to a minecart. I settled in behind Riptooth, and soon we were going down what might as well be a rollercoaster ride. I feel no shame in admitting that I whooped and hollered as we went down, enjoying myself immensely. Trustworthy or not, I think I'll have to ask the Goblins if I can ride their minecarts just for the heck of it sometime.

All too soon, we pulled up into what I'm guessing is a minecart station, since there's has to be millions of them stored in racks on the walls and ceiling. Riptooth hurried out of the cart and I followed him in a slight daze and feeling rather loopy and grinning. I wonder if I could convince the Goblins to start up a theme park?

I followed Riptooth past large and ornate buildings, all different, yet at the same time the same, with varying architecture and made mostly out of stone and metals. If I could describe what I can only assume must be a Goblin city, it would be Baroque. Did I mention that there are Goblins everywhere? Definitely a city, that's for sure. We finally ended up in a large open plaza leading up to a very large golden and marble palace with way enough ornate pillars to make me think that someone had taken a Roman palace and transplanted it underground.

Once we reached the steps, we'd somehow gained an entourage of at least half a dozen guards. I can't help but wonder what the big deal is. Sure, I just dropped a few ideas that may earn the Goblins a crap load of gold, as well as brought up some issues with a very prominent wizard figure who was screwing with my account... Ok, put like that, maybe I can see why they're making a big deal.

Riptooth and I finally ended up in a very large and ornate throne room facing a Goblin who just happens to be the consummate monarch. He has the presence, the look, the style. A guard cleared his throat and announced, "My Lord Ragnok, I present to you the Heir Apparent Harry Potter and Master Account Manager Riptooth."

Following Riptooth's lead, I bowed to Ragnok. Ragnok leaned forward and said, "You may rise, Heir Potter, Master Riptooth. Do you know why you were summoned here?" The question seemed addressed to me so I answered, "I'm hoping to find out, my lord." Ragnok smiled and said almost nonchalantly, "It's not everyday when I get not one, but two messages from the Lord Holders about a profit margin not seen in over a thousand years, and this from ideas presented from a wizard who only just turned his majority today." My eyes widened in shock. Had I really just made them that much that the Goblin accountants are head over heals at this?

I nodded and said, "It was my wish to do business with the Goblin nation today, and since Master Riptooth was helping me more than I had originally thought possible, I saw fit to try and compensate him as best I knew how at the time." Riptooth's face went red at this, treating me to my first ever Goblin blush, and Ragnok burst into laughter and said, "Spoken like a true Goblin! Well then, Heir Potter, let me be the first to inform you that thanks to your compensation to the Goblin Nation and Master Riptooth, now Grandmaster Account Manager Riptooth," at this Riptooth went even redder and mumbled out, "You honor me, my lord." Ragnok gave a nod to Riptooth and continued, "Due to our law, any person who presents a proposal to the Goblin Nation that earns money is due royalty fees. As such, your account holdings now contains ten percent of Gringotts International."

Ragnok grinned and my eyes bulged, my eyebrows disappeared into my hairline, and I croaked out, "Forgive me Lord Ragnok, but when you said Gringotts International, do you mean to say I now have ten percent of all the gold of every Gringotts in the world, not just Britain?" Ragnok nodded and stated, "That is correct. I am aware you have as of yet to see your account. You may take this time to review your accounts."

I nodded numbly and opened the somewhat thick tome to the first page and nearly passed out. Scanning down the list, I seem to have ended up with nearly ten vaults, on EACH CONTINENT, all holding at the minimum one billion galleons EACH! And according to the account history, all Gringotts had done was taken my holdings in Britain, and applied the same to each continent, and that's AFTER Dumbledore stole from my account! I could barely comprehend that much money! As it is, I could probably buy a continent or two with this! Heck, even with ten billion galleons originally I could've bought the whole of Diagon Alley numerous times over!

I looked up at Ragnok and asked, "Forgive me Lord Ragnok, but how is such a number even possible? I wouldn't think that the entirety of the magical world would have this kind of money combined!" Ragnok chuckled and stated, "While it's true that if you combined the amount of gold that Wizards have in our bank, they wouldn't come close to even your original holdings, Wizards are not the only people who use our bank. Goblin's gold makes up a large portion of the gold that is owned by the bank, namely fifty percent. Due to our dealings within the muggle banking system, muggles themselves account for twenty nine percent, wizards account for eleven percent, ten of which is yours, and the last one percent is from various magical races."

To learn that the magical world only accounted for roughly two percent of the Goblin's economy is a very humbling experience indeed. I bowed my head slightly and stated, "I am honored to be held in such esteem Lord Ragnok and it was my pleasure to do business with the Goblin nation." Ragnok chuckled again and said, "It was indeed. Now I believe you have an appointment at St. Claire's soon. I'd advise you to get there as soon as possible. The Goblin Nation, particularly Grandmaster Riptooth, will oversee your affairs."

Seeing this as a dismissal, Riptooth bowed once more, and I followed suit, then we backed out of the room backwards about ten paces before turning around and taking the minecart back to Gringotts bank. Riptooth then lead me back to the lobby where Hagrid was sitting snoozing on the bench. To say I was in a daze would be an understatement, but I had enough presence of mind to turn to Riptooth and say, "Riptooth, if it's possible, instead of getting a tray like that, I was hoping to get a utility belt of sorts with pockets on it that expand infinitely. Is it possible that I could have one of those pockets charmed to act as the tray instead of getting the tray itself? Perhaps I could get another pocket charmed to access my account, with a blood lock?" Riptooth grinned ferally, answering, "That can be arranged Mr. Potter." A Goblin then came up and handed over a black debit card with my name and the Gringotts logo on it as well as the mokeskin bag. I thanked the Goblin and Riptooth said, "I will be in touch soon about your current business holdings and financial status, and your, 'utility belt', will be delivered to you." I nodded in thanks, then as a quick afterthought, I asked, "Would I be able to become emancipated Grandmaster Riptooth?"

Riptooth grinned even more, still without showing teeth, and said, "I'll have the paperwork drawn up for you when you get back. For now, go to St. Claire's. May the path you take be strewn with the blood of your enemies." I smirked and said back, "May your coffers always be filled with gold." Riptooth nodded and left. Hagrid, who was hanging back a little, came forward and asked, "Alright there Harry?" I nodded and said, "Sorry I was gone so long." Hagrid waved my apology off and said, "So I hear you have an appointment with that St. Claire's fella Tom mentioned?" I nodded. Hagrid seemed to hoist himself up and said, "A'right. Off we go then!"

Hagrid and I then left Gringotts, and taking a left, we headed down Mort Alley. Thankfully we didn't have to go far before we hit a sign that said St. Claire's. It stood out from the rest considering it looks more modern than the other shops in the alley. Hagrid opened the door and held it for me so I entered first, to the tinkling of a bell from behind the counter. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was at any old clinic from the modern world. The receptionist glanced up and asked, "Harry Potter?" I nodded and said, "That's me."

The receptionist nodded and opened a door connected to the desk and said, "Follow me please." I followed her down a hallway and to the right. I was surprised to find only one room, rather than multiple rooms in a clinic like I'm used to. Standing in front of his desk, is a rather tall man wearing a white overcoat. He swiftly approached me and said, "Welcome Mr. Potter. If your friend would just wait in the lobby, then we can get started." Hagrid nodded from behind me and left.

The doctor nodded and said, "Right, I'm Dr. Mark Claire, owner of this establishment. I'm under contract by the goblin's and have been assigned to give you a full physical checkup. Now if you'd just sit here on this bench, then we can get started." I nodded, and he set up a quill which balanced on it's tip, poised and waiting. He then said, "Now Mr. Potter, I'm just going to cast a number of spells to check your health. While doing so, please feel free to tell me anything you like. Your privacy will be held under strictest confidence under the Healer's Oath, and these forms will only be seen by those you authorize to see them."

I nodded and sighed, saying, "I'm not really sure where to begin." The doctor nodded and said, "Just start wherever you feel comfortable." I nodded and while he ran his wand over me and muttered spells under his breath, I explained about how the Dursley's had kept me in the Cupboard under the stairs, how my first Hogwarts letter had been addressed to it, how the Dursley's tried so hard to keep me from finding out what was in the letter, how Hagrid finally found me and where he found me. I also told him about Harry Hunting with Dudley and his gang, apparating on accident, regrowing my hair, accidently setting a boa constrictor on Dudley, and turning my teacher's wig blue. I mentioned how the Dursley's would work me nearly to death, and I was often starved or went without meals. I brought up how they made me cook even at a young age, when I could barely reach the stove. I shook my head and trailed off there. At this point the Doctor looked at me and said, "There's something else bothering you isn't there. One of the spells I'm running tells me when you've said everything you've could and whether you're being honest or not. I've never received these results before. According to the spell, you're telling the truth, but you don't believe it happened to you."

I winced and after a bit the doctor finally finished running his wand over me and said, "Remember, the only people who will see the results of your examination are those you authorize to do so, and I wouldn't reveal anything due to my Oath. Whatever it is, it's bothering you a great deal." I looked down when he said this and whispered, "The truth is, what I just told you is what I know happened. But, the main problem is… I'm not really Harry Potter…" The Doctor remained silent for a moment before prompting, "Go on…"

I sighed and said, "My name is Matthew Paver. I was born on the nineteenth of November, 1988 in the United States, Florida. I'm twenty three years old. I also happen to be what you call a muggle. When I went to bed last night, I found myself suddenly lying on the floor of an old shack and it was somehow minutes till midnight, yesterday. Where I come from, Harry Potter is the main protagonist of a seven book series spanning his school years and covering a little bit before and after that. Everything I just told you that happened to Harry Potter is listed in those books, particularly the first one."

The doctor nodded and said, "The results indicate you're telling the truth, and also that your mental faculties are in proper working order. That's confirmation enough for me. What do you plan on doing now that you're Harry Potter?" I answered, "The only plan I have going is that I need to get a few things taken care of in order to live a somewhat normal life in case I can't go back to being Matthew… and also… a large part of me doesn't really want to go back to being Matthew."

The doctor checked the report that the dictaquill is scribbling down and he pulled it aside and set the quill on a fresh sheet of paper. The doctor then asked, "Can you tell me what your life was like that you would willingly choose to be Harry Potter instead of Matthew, considering everything you just told me about what his life was like?" I nodded and said, "I wasn't born Matthew Paver. I was born Matthew Creen. When I was two years old, my family was driving to an amusement park when we ended up in a car accident. All of us were injured and my mother was killed."

I took a deep breath and continued, "I was in serious condition when I made it to the hospital. Luckily I survived… but it came out that our dad abused my brothers… sexually. According to the mind healers I saw at the time, they stated that there was evidence that I had been abused as well, though my, 'Dad', denied it. I and my brother were then taken from the hospital by a woman who claimed to be a friend of the family. This woman kept me in diapers till I was four. She kept us locked in our room at night so we were forced to designate a corner for bathroom use. She never let us out of the house and she forced me to swallow whole pieces of boneless chicken without chewing. I can't even tell you why she did that last one, only that maybe it has to do with the fact that baby's don't chew food.

Finally, I and my brother were adopted by the Pavers's. When they got me out, I was evidently still being made to sleep in a crib. Thanks to that, I can only guess to what kind of mental scarring I have. I only know that I have a lot of difficulty with social issues than others do, and I've been depressed for most of my life.

The Paver's at least took good care of me and my brother. They taught me not to steal after they caught me taking change from my sister's purse because it was shiny. They were very strict though, and they yelled a lot, which frightened me and made it extremely difficult to come to them for anything. This grew even harder when I became a teenager and despite trying my best to please them, I only ever seemed capable of screwing up or making them mad, and they would spend long periods of time chastising me.

On top of this, I didn't have anyone else to turn to in either school or church. All my peers shunned or made fun of me, and the adults were at least nice, but I couldn't really talk to them. I ended up developing a few problems when I turned eleven due to this, mainly an addiction which is causing me trouble with my church, and I ended up creating an alternate reality in my head to escape reality so I would be able to cope with life. Nowadays, I'm going to school and trying to find a job and something to do with my life, which is the main thing I've struggled with for a long time, trying to find some purpose for me to exist. I know why I exist, but I hardly have a purpose or reason to live. I've often wished I was dead because of it since I turned eleven."

"Now, twelve years later, nothing much has changed. I'm still learning, I was in a bad situation in that I couldn't get a job so I couldn't get money to pay food or rent and I was just shy of becoming homeless. Now I'm suddenly Harry Potter, and I have no idea how to get back, if I can get back, or if I even want to go back. At least here, I know what I can do and have a purpose to my life. I can easily make a living for myself and improve my own life and the lives of others around me. I have a chance at a fresh start. Does that answer the question of why I would jump at the chance to be Harry Potter despite the fact that his life is utter crap?"

The doctor nodded and said, "Very understandable. I leave it up to you, but I would advise seeing a mind healer. You don't have to if you don't want to, but this is definitely something beyond my ability to fix. There's a mind healer down the road by the name of Dr. Archer. He's a good friend of mine also under the employ of the Goblins. If you like, you can also only submit a part of the report for the investigation and the Goblin's records."

I sighed in relief and said, "I'd prefer it if the fact that I'm not truly Harry Potter stays with me. The rest I authorize to be a part of the Goblin's records and the investigation into Albus Dumbledore." The healer nodded and put aside the quill, then tapped the papers with his wand. They flashed, then faded back to blank once more.


End file.
